Bad news, nature lovers: @Greenpeace says your sleeping bag could be made w toxic chemicals http://bit.ly/1OTXSk9. Toxic chemicals with potential health and environmental impacts are widely used in the manufacture of outdoor clothing and gear, according to a Greenpeace study released Monday.
The environmental activist group found traces of poly- and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in 36 of 40 products they tested, according to the report.
Chemicals such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are used to make moisture-wicking and water-repellent equipment including jackets, pants, sleeping bags, boots, and tents. The compounds help keep campers and hikers dry and dirt-free, but they are hazardous to the environment and human health, Greenpeace says. The chemicals also widely used in other common household items including nonstick cooking pans and fire-retardant foam.
“PFCs are chemical compounds that don’t exist in nature,” Mirjam Kopp, detox outdoor global project leader for Greenpeace, said in a statement. “Once released in the environment, many of them degrade very slowly and enter the food chain, making pollution almost irreversible.”
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